MY ROCK OF REFUGE
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Opening Prayer
Father, thank you for your Word and its ability to change me. Please use it to help me become more like Jesus.
Read PSALM 31
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Psalm
Psalm 31
Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, LORD;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Reflect
‘Rock of ages, cleft for me, / let me hide myself in thee.’1
Psalm 31 finds David in the midst of multiple troubles: physical, emotional, and mental. Beset by enemies seeking to trap him (v. 4), he faces not only opposition, unpopularity, and even persecution but grief and illness as well. As a result, he has succumbed to depression and near paranoia (vv. 9—13). Instead of arguing or questioning why God has allowed all this trouble, he prays this psalm of trust in the Lord his refuge (v .1). The tone alternates, as he contrasts the protective hands of God with the violent hands of his enemies, the loving deliverance of God with the wicked conspiracies of his enemies (vv. 5—18).
It might be helpful to spend a few moments considering all the descriptions of the Lord in this psalm. David knows him to be righteous, faithful, merciful, good, and loving. The love referred to in verses 7, 16, and 21 is that steadfast covenant love which cannot, and will never, fail. As believers in Jesus Christ, we, too, are in such a loving covenant relationship with Almighty God. What a privilege! This covenant love is not only the first commandment2 but also the only proper motivation for Christian service.
David was not given any reason for his troubles, but his trusting knowledge of God nevertheless gives him grounds for a confident assurance and leads him to keep praying and praising (vv. 15—21). Indeed, as the psalm builds to a climax of praise and worship, he encourages all God’s people to do likewise (vv. 21—24). God often uses the troubles and difficulties of life on earth to test, refine, and strengthen the faith of believers. Will you, too, commit your life and troubles into the sovereign hand of the One who steadfastly loves you?
Apply
When in trouble, is it your instinct to turn to the Lord or away from him? Read Colossians 3:3. Consider any implications regarding your own troubles.
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, whatever my struggles might be, help me to remember that you are not only my Savior and Lord—you are Immanuel, my healer, my good shepherd, my strength, my teacher, and more.
1 ‘Rock of Ages’, Augustus Toplady, 1776 2 Matt 22:37, 38.
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